Microstructural features and properties of high-hardness and heat-resistant dispersion strengthened copper by reaction milling

Abstract

The oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloys are attractive due to their excellent combination of thermal and electrical conductivities, high-temperature strength and microstructure stability. To date, the state-of-art to fabrication of them was the internal oxidation (IO) process. In this paper, alumina dispersion strengthened copper (ADSC) powders of nominal composition of Cu-2.5 vol%Al₂O₃ were produced by reaction milling (RM) process which was an in-situ gas-solid reaction process. The bulk ADSC alloys for electrical and mechanical properties investigation were obtained by sintering and thereafter hot extrusion. After the hot consolidation processes, the fully densified powder compacts can be obtained. The single γ-Al₂O₃ phase and profile broaden effects are evident in accordance with the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD); the HRB hardness of the ADSC can be as high as 95; the outcomes should be attributed to the pinning effect of nano γ-Al₂O₃ on dislocations and grain boundaries in the copper matrix. The electrical conductivity of the ADSC alloy is 55%IACS (International Annealing Copper Standard). The room temperature hardness of the hot consolidated material was approximately maintained after annealing for 1 h at 900 °C in hydrogen atmosphere. In terms of the above merits, the RM process to fabricating ADSC alloys is a promising method to improve heat resistance, hardness, electrical conductivity and wear resistance properties etc.

Keywords

oxide dispersion strengthened copper / reaction milling / hardness / electrical conductivity

References

[1] ASM Handbook Committee. ASM Metals Handbook, vol. 2, 1990 10th ed. Ohio ASM International

[2] López M., Corredor D., Ramam K. Performance of New Dispersion-precipitation Strengthened Copper-ceramic Materials Made by Mechanical Alloying[J]. Phys. Stat. Sol. (c), 2007, 4(11): 4 248-4 253.

[3] Groza J. Heat-resistant Dispersion-strengthened Copper Alloys[J]. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 1992, 1: 113-121.

[4] Zuhailawati H., Yong T. L. Consolidation of Dispersion Strengthened Copper-niobium Carbide Composite Prepared by In Situ and Ex Situ Methods [J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2009, 505(1–2): 27-30.

[5] Heidarpour A., Karimzadeh F., Enayati M. H. In Situ Synthesis Mechanism Al₂O₃-Mo Nanocomposite by Ball Milling Process[J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2009, 477: 692-695.

[6] Morris M. A., Morris D. G. Microstructural Refinement and Associated Strength of Copper Alloys Obtained by Mechanical Alloying [J]. Mater. Sci. and Eng. A, 1989, 111: 115-127.

[7] Morris D. G., Morris M. A. Rapid Solidification and Mechanical Alloying Techniques Applied to Cu-Cr Alloys[J]. Mater. Sci. and Eng. A, 1988, 104: 201-213.

[8] Morris D. G., Morris M. A. Microcrystalline or Nanocrystalline Grain Size in Two-phase Alloys after Mechanical Alloying[J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 1991, 134: 1 418-1 421.

[9] Morris D. G., Morris M. A. Microstructure and Strength of Nanocrystalline Copper Alloy Prepared by Mechanical Alloying[J]. Acta Metal. Mater., 1991, 39: 1 763-1 770.

[10] Morris M. A., Joye J. C. Effect of the Particle Distribution on the Mechanisms Controlling Deformation of a Copper Alloy at Intermediate Temperatures[J]. Acta Metal. Mater., 1995, 43: 69-81.

[11] Morris D. G., Morris M. A. Mechanical Alloying of Copper-BCC Element Mixtures[J]. Scripta Metallurgica, 1990, 24: 1 701-1 706.

[12] Morris M. A., Morris D. G. Segregation Structures of Melt-spun Cu-Si-B Alloys and Their High Temperature Deformation Behaviour [J]. Acta Metal., 1989, 37: 61-69.

[13] Espinoza R. A., Palma R. H., Sepúlveda A. O. Microstructural Characterization of Dispersion-strengthened Cu-Ti-Al Alloys Obtained by Reaction Milling[J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2007, 454–455: 183-193.

[14] Palma R. H., Sepúlveda A. O., Espinoza R. G. High-temperature Mechanical Behaviour of Cu-Ti-C, Cu-Al and Cu-Ti-Al-C Alloys Obtained by Reaction Milling[J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2004, 384: 262-269.

[15] Palma R. H., Sepúlveda A. H., Espinoza R. A. Performance of Cu-TiC Alloy Electrodes Developed by Reaction Milling for Electrical-resistance Welding[J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2005, 169: 62-66.

[16] Palma R. H., Sepúlveda A., Espinoza R. High-temperature Deformation of Dispersion-strengthened Cu-Zr-Ti-C Alloys[J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2005, 391: 60-65.

[17] ASM Handbook Committee. ASM Metals Handbook, vol. 7, 1990 10th ed. Ohio ASM International

[18] Ahn J.-H., Kim H.-J., Oh I.-H. Preparation of Nano-sized ODS Alloys by Ball-milling Using Metallic Salts[J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2009, 483: 247-251.

[19] Gordo E., Gómez B., Ruiz-Navas E. M. Influence of Milling Parameters on the Manufacturing of Fe-TiCN Composite Powders[J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2005, 162-163: 59-64.

[20] Li J., Li F., Hu K. Preparation of Ni/Al₂O₃ Nanocomposite Powder by High-energy Ball Milling and Subsequent Heat Treatment[J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2004, 147: 236-240.

[21] Botta W. J., Tomasi R., Pallone E. M. J. A. Nanostructured Composites Obtained by Reactive Milling[J]. Scripta Mater., 2001, 44: 1 735-1 740.

[22] Huang J. Y., Wu Y. K., Ye H. Q. Microstructure Investigations of Ball Milled Materials[J]. Microscopy Research and Technique, 1998, 40: 101-121.

[23] Ward T. S., Chen W., Schoenitz M. A Study of Mechanical Alloying Processes Using Reactive Milling and Discrete Element Modeling[J]. Acta Materialia, 2005, 53: 2 909-2 918.

[24] Venugopal T., Rao K. P., Murty B. S. Synthesis of Copper-alumina Nanocomposite by Reactive Milling[J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2005, 393: 382-386.

[25] Li J., Li F., Hu K. TiB₂/TiC Nanocomposite Powder Fabricated via High Energy Ball Milling[J]. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2001, 21: 2 829-2 833.

[26] Udhayabanu V., Ravi K. R., Vinod V. Synthesis of In-situ NiAl-Al₂O₃ Nanocomposite by Reactive Milling and Subsequent Heat Treatment[J]. Intermetallics, 2010, 18: 353-358.

[27] Li G., Sun j., Guo Quanmei. Fabrication of the Nanometer Al₂O₃/Cu Composite by Internal Oxidation[J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2005, 170: 336-340.

[28] Shehata F., Fathy A., Abdelhameed M. Preparation and Properties of Al₂O₃ Nanoparticle Reinforced Copper Matrix Composites by In Situ Processing [J]. Materials and Design, 2009, 30: 2 756-2 762.

[29] Ying D. Y., Zhang D. L. Processing of Cu-Al₂O₃ Metal Matrix Nanocomposite Materials by Using High Energy Ball Milling[J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2000, 286: 152-156.